Mecum and MidAmerica Host Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction

MidAmerica’s 23rd annual Las Vegas Vintage Motorcycle Auction hosted by Mecum Auctions was held last weekend at the South Point Hotel. The auction made history as it was the highest grossing auction on record with total sales for the event reaching $7,475,155. A total of 537 motorcycles went under the gavel with 441 selling for a sell-through rate of 82 percent.

The auction drew more than 1,100 registered bidders and additional spectators from 48 states and more than 30 different countries to form the largest group of registered bidders and enthusiasts that the auction has seen in its 23-year run.

As auction headliner, The George Pardos Collection – dubbed “The Evolution of the Harley-Davidson” – saw 18 of the 20 motorcycles hammer sold with five of them landing in the top 10 sales. Pardos’ 1911 Harley-Davidson 7D Twin gaveled at $260,000 claiming its predicted spot as the highest dollar sale of the three-day auction. His 1936 Harley-Davidson EL “Knucklehead” came in as the third top sale with an unprecedented $165,000 hammer price.

Other significant sales from The Pardos Collection included his 1914 Harley-Davidson 10F Twin which sold for $105,000, as well as his 1928 JDH Twin and 1915 11F Twin, which sold for $100,000 and $91,000, respectively.

The auction’s second-highest sale went to a 1925 BMW R37 racer that grabbed a $200,000 bid as one of the rarest BMW Production Racing bikes in existence. The top 10 was rounded out with a 1955 Vincent Black Prince that hammered for $125,000 and a 1972 Triumph/BSA TRX 7502 that brought $97,000.

The complete top 10 sales list from the Las Vegas auction includes (all individual sales reflect hammer prices):

1911 Harley-Davidson 7D Twin (Lot 471) at $260,000

1925 BMW R37 (Lot 436) at $200,000

1936 Harley-Davidson EL (Lot 483) at $165,000

1955 Vincent Black Prince (Lot 499) at $125,000

1914 Harley-Davidson 10F Twin (Lot 474) at $105,000

1928 Harley-Davidson JDH Twin (Lot 480) at $100,000

1972 Triumph/BSA TRX 7502 (Lot 491) at $97,000

1909 Harley-Davidson 5 C Single (Lot 187) at $95,000

1938 Brough Superior SS80 (Lot 498) at $95,000

1915 Harley-Davidson 11F Twin (Lot 475) at $91,000

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.